


radio

by sunshinedoie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Best Friends, Confessions, Crying, Love songs, M/M, Mario Kart, Sad Na Jaemin, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25780768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinedoie/pseuds/sunshinedoie
Summary: Jaemin knew he loved Mark Lee once he turned on the radio and all the love songs were about him.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Na Jaemin
Comments: 18
Kudos: 41





	radio

Jaemin knew he loved Mark Lee once he turned on the radio and all the love songs were about him. 

Lately, that was all that the radio stations would play: songs about love, heartbreak, and everything in between. Jaemin used to hate it, he really did, but something had changed.

He supposed falling in love with his best friend had changed his perspective a bit. Mark was truly one of the kindest people that Jaemin had ever met. Who wouldn’t fall in love with him? 

Mark had been there through it all. He was there when Jaemin had his heart broken for the first time. He was there to hold Jaemin when his world came crashing down, there when all he could do was cry. He was always there.

Jaemin was entirely comfortable with Mark, and that’s why he decided that he would tell him as soon as possible.

* * *

The perfect opportunity presented itself a few days later. They were sitting on Mark’s bed, watching a movie on his laptop, Jaemin’s head resting on the other’s chest.

As the movie came to an end, Jaemin sat up and looked at Mark. The boy smiled lightly, shutting the laptop as if he knew what was happening. Mark always knew.

Jaemin took a deep breath.

“Mark. I have to tell you something, and it’s scary, but I just—I need to get it out there.”

Mark sat up and nodded, giving his full attention to Jaemin.

“Okay,” Jaemin took another breath. “I’ve been listening to the radio quite a bit, and the love songs don’t bother me as much anymore because all of a sudden, every love song is about you.”

“Oh.”

Jaemin smiled and blushed. “This doesn’t have to mean anything but—I think I’m in love with you, Mark Lee.”

He sat back as fear set in. This was Mark: what did he have to be afraid of?

“Oh, Jaem, I, I don’t know what to say, I’m so sorry. I love you. Just… not in the same way. I’m sorry.”

Oh. That’s what he had been afraid of. Jaemin looked down, fiddling with the blanket.

“Mark, you don’t have to apologize! I just wanted you to know. I hope this doesn’t make things weird between us.”

Mark shook his head. “No, of course not! Thank you for telling me, Jaem.”

Jaemin opened the laptop and chose another movie to watch, shooting Mark a smile. They were done with this conversation, at least for now.

* * *

The next few weeks went by pretty quickly, and Jaemin didn’t think about his feelings, really. At least, he didn’t until a certain song came on the radio again—the song that was playing when he realized just how in love he was.

Jaemin laid down on his bed, soaking in emotion, thinking about things that could’ve been: holding Mark close, breath mixing as they looked at each other lovingly before they closed the gap. What would it feel like to kiss Mark? To hold him close, to be his boyfriend?

A tear rolled down his cheek, followed by another, another, another until he lost track of just how many tears had fallen. 

He didn’t know how long he had been there, but his tears had long since dried and his head hurt the way it does after a lot of crying.

Why did that song have to come on?

Jaemin sat up, head pounding as he walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He decided to stop listening to the radio. It wasn’t doing him any favors.

He sipped his glass of ice water, the pounding in his head slowly subsiding.

Jaemin wished he had never fallen in love. He wished that the love songs on the radio would stop being about his best friend.

* * *

He wasn’t around Mark as much anymore, and it was easy for him to believe that he was finally free, free from the prison that they called love. But the moment he set his eyes on the boy, he knew he was still in deep.

They were hanging out at Jaemin’s place today—a nice change from the room that simply screamed Mark. He didn’t know if he could handle being surrounded by so much of the boy he loved.

Currently, Jaemin was leaving Mark in the dust.

“Ahh, come on, Jaem. Let me win one.”

Jaemin smirked. “No way am I letting you win. Just get better.”

Mark sighed, defeated. “Jaem, I think you’re just too good. Do you practice when I’m not here? That must be it.”

Jaemin laughed, rolling his eyes.

“Maybe if I had Mario Kart at home,” Mark continued. “Then I could practice and win for once.”

“You’re ridiculous, Mark.”

They burst into laughter as Mark’s character was launched off of the edge. Jaemin couldn’t help but watch the way Mark’s eyes lit up as he smiled. Oh, what a beautiful smile he had.

“HA!” Mark shouted as he passed Jaemin. “Take that!”

Fuck. He was too distracted.

“Enjoy it while it lasts, Mark, because it’s never happening again.”

“Yeah, right.”

* * *

Jaemin really was hopelessly in love. Every little thing made him fall deeper and deeper in love with Mark Lee, and he hated it.

Why wouldn’t his feelings go away?

The radio played in the background as he contemplated ways to fall out of love. The radio. The radio started all of this—perhaps it would be the solution to his problems. And so he listened.

A song was playing, one he had never heard before.

He looked up the lyrics, following along with the song as it played. It was perfect—how did they know exactly how he was feeling?

Jaemin almost cried, but he had been doing too much of that lately. The chorus played again, and he sang along, the tune easy to pick up. This song felt like a safe place.

As it drew to a close, he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

“Jaem?”

It was Mark. Jaemin opened the door and wrapped his arms around his best friend, the tears finally falling down his cheeks. Mark simply hugged back.

They didn’t need to use words to know how the other was feeling.

And the two of them stood there, holding each other as the radio played.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! if you would like to see more, follow me on twitter @sunshinedoie!!


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